Kindergartenism #52:

Grant: "It's hard for me to write with my right hand and it's hard for Aidan (his twin brother) to write with his left hand."

Me: "Grant, I just realized like a week ago that you are a leftie and Aidan is a rightie."

Kelsey: "I'm a bothie...I can do things with both of my hands."

Me: "Do you want to learn what that's called and impress your mom and dad? It's called being ambidextrous."

Kelsey: "Can you write that down? Sometimes it's hard for me to remember things. My brain is so big that sometimes things get lost in there. One time, I was at daycare and it was so windy that what I was trying to remember flew out of my head."

Kindergartenism #53:

We've been talking to the kiddos about ways to be safe. Yesterday, we talked about saying no to strangers, and we defined a stranger as anyone you don't know.

Ashton: "I know everyone."

So I applied in late February to work summer school in my district. At the end of April, we got a district-wide email that said they were working on summer school hiring and would be sending out contracts within the next few weeks. It also had an attachment that listed everyone in the district who applied for summer school. I checked, and I, as well as all of my information, was on the list. I waited and waited, and by the second week of May, I still hadn't heard anything about being officially hired. I emailed the guy in charge, asking when I could expect some information, and he replied by telling me I wasn't on the list. Since then, I've been waiting for him to get his act together and tell me if I will be teaching or not. I emailed him and told him I need to know ASAP so I can figure out my summer employment, but I still haven't heard anything from him in about a week. I'm very frustrated with the whole situation. Apparently, things have been very disorganized with summer school since he took over. If I can't teach summer school in the district, I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I'm sure most districts are done hiring for summer school by now and I don't know what places would be looking to hire for only 2 months or so. Just another unknown to add to my life.

Kindergartenism #48:
Oscar: "It's going to be in the 80s today! And then it's going to rain the rest of the week. And then it's going to be 28 on Friday!"
Me: "28?! That's winter weather!"
Oscar: "Yep, 28."

Kindergartenism #49:
Ricki (a girl): "It's so hot! I wish I could take my shirt off. But girls have private parts under their shirts. They have belly buttons."

Kindergartenism #50:
Bella (while reading a book she wrote about her friends): "Kelsey...She is the bestest kid in the class. She always listens. She always tells me what to do...but I still like her anyway."

Kindergartenism #51:
Nora: "My dad hurt his back this weekend."
Me: "Oh no. I'm sorry to hear that. How did it happen?"
Nora: "He was riding his bike with his friend Derek. He fell off and hit his back."
Me: "Ouch I bet that hurt."
Nora: "Yeah, he broke a rib too. I have a real stethoscope at home, so I can check on him and make sure he's okay."

I have decided to make a summer to-do list. This summer will be the first summer in 7 years that I will be in Milwaukee and I realized that, despite growing up here for many years, there are many things I haven't done here. On Friday, I crossed the first thing off my list!

#1: Go on the Lakefront Brewery tour. May 21, 2010

This was probably the best $7 I've ever spent! You get 24 oz. of beer (4 6 oz. samples), an entertaining tour, and a free glass at the end! It was really fun and we plan on going many more times this summer!

Kindergartenism #46:
Harrison: "Look at this one. (points to something he's drawing) It's so awkward."
Ella: "What does awkward mean?"
Harrison: "I don't know."

Kindergartenism #47:
I don't remember who said this quote...
"Who were the first people in the world?"
"I think their names were Jack and Jill."

Since I last posted, my parents have decided to sell their house. It was always something that was looming in the future, but my mom stumbled upon a house she loves and jumped into moving mode. The time between when she found the new house online and when we had a realtor come to look at our house was pretty sudden. And not only that, but the new house is in Sullivan...about 45 minutes west of where we live now. My sister and I were given the option to move out there with my parents, but neither of us want to deal with that kind of commute. It would take my sister at least an hour just to get to school everyday in downtown Milwaukee. So, we have been talking about getting a place together. I wasn't planning on living at home past the summer anyway, but there are a lot of unknowns in my life right now (i.e. where I'm working next school year), so the thought of having to find a place by a certain time is a little stressful right now. Granted, it could be months before our house sells, but my parents want to have as much stuff out of our house as we can to make it look bigger and less cluttered. So, we'll see what this summer brings in that area.

The superintendent of my district brought up the idea of creating another 1st grade in my classroom at my school next year. We have 52 kindergarteners right now (26 in 2 classes) including a handful of pretty needy kiddos. Only 2 kids that we know of are not returning to the school next year which puts each 1st grade class at 25 for next year. And there are always new kids that register over the summer. So, if the class sizes get big enough, they might split into 3 classrooms, in which case, I told my principal I'd like to be considered for the position. It's not a guarantee and the decision probably wouldn't be made until sometime over the summer, but it's a possibility. In the meantime, i'm still watching the postings...which are very few and far between right now. I have to have faith though. I have to constantly remind myself that God totally provided a job for me this year when I thought all hope for one was lost. I have such a huge desire to teach in my own classroom and I have to believe that desire is put in me for a reason...and that eventually, in His timing, God will fulfill that desire as long as I continue to seek after Him.

Kindergartenism #44:
Kelsey: "I was born without patience."
Me: "No patience?"
Kelsey: "Nope...I just can't handle it."

Kindergartenism #45:
In a reading group, I was discussing r-controlled words (words with -ar) with the students.
Me: "Can anyone think of another -ar word?"
Grant: "Bernard"
Me: "Oh yeah, the boy's name."
Josh: "Bernard? Like the store?"
Me: "Store? I don't know a store named Bernard."
Josh: "You know...(sings) Save big money at Bernards"

Kindergartenism #43:
Me: "Does anyone know what the black circles in your eye are called?"
Brian: "Pimples!"

Freedom.

I love how the Lord knows how to comfort our hearts when we need it most. This week was difficult at times because of everything I've been feeling about the Mike situation. I've felt hurt, sad, angry, frustrated, pushed aside, inadequate...the list continues.

On Wednesday, I went to Impact with a very heavy heart. On the verge of tears (if you know me, you know this is pretty significant because crying is rare for me), I just laid everything at God's feet. I tried to focus on Him rather than worrying about Mike. As a result, I felt so uplifted. The message was the last in a series studying Exodus. We had messages on bondage, liberation, and wilderness leading up to it and on Wednesday we talked about freedom.

Freedom. Freedom from the things that weigh us down. Freedom from the bondage of sin. Freedom from pain...sadness...heartache.

Benj (the Impact intern giving the message) talked about how the Israelites experienced freedom when they reached the Promise Land. In the same way, we experience freedom through Christ. He pointed out how we became cursed by the fall in Genesis but in Revelation it talks about how the curse will be lifted when Jesus returns. He pointed out all the things we will experience..."God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:3-4). He then talked about how we can experience all of those things in Jesus. Just like heaven will come to earth when Jesus returns, those things of heaven can come to earth now through Jesus.

None of what I heard on Wednesday was new information to me. I've heard it all before. But it was like God opened my eyes to it in a different way. It was like all of a sudden, it just made sense. I saw the connections in Genesis and Revelation and understood how that's relevant to us now through Jesus. I've always known that we can experience good things through faith in Jesus, but I never fully realized that we can experience HEAVEN on earth...Jesus made that possible for us. Instead of yearning for the day I can experience heaven, I can experience those things now. It seems like something so obvious...but it finally hit home.

I tend to dwell in my pain and hurt, and wish for the day that things are different. But this week, I realized the extent of what I have in Jesus. Dwelling on the obstacles in life only make them seem bigger. Staring at a mountain from the bottom makes it seem huge. But when you compare a mountain to the rest of the world from above, it's tiny. In the same way, dwelling on Jesus and who He is will make the obstacles in life seem much smaller. Duh! It only took me how long to realize this?

When I left Impact on Wednesday, I felt so incredibly uplifted. Why dwell on this stupid situation with Mike? In the words of Jill Briscoe this morning at church, "It is God that determines whether I'm worthy." I can't let any boy (or any person for that matter) try to determine my worth. I am so blessed with the friends and family in my life, and I am blessed with who God made me to be. I'm SO tired of letting other people determine my worth. I've spent so much time yearning to feel loved and dwelling on things like being single or feeling lonely, that I have completely left God out of the equation.

My friend Joshua said it best this week at bible study: "Sometimes God doesn't fulfill our desires until we desire Him more."

So that's what I want to try to do...desire Him more. It won't be easy and there will be days that I won't have the motivation to try, but it will be so worth it...

freedom.